


Word Of Mouth

by TheFriendlyRose



Category: Phandom/The Fantastic Foursome (YouTube RPF)
Genre: Homophobic Language, Internal Conflict, M/M, Slut Shaming
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-22
Updated: 2019-01-22
Packaged: 2019-10-14 08:00:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,182
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17504705
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheFriendlyRose/pseuds/TheFriendlyRose
Summary: Sometimes word of mouth matters more than the truth to some people. Especially when it's regarding Dan Howell. The notorious player of the school.





	Word Of Mouth

"Go away, Howell." Phil huffs, looking down at the blue and black speckled tile. 

"I said, hear me out." Dan lets out a short breath. "I just wanted to say that I think that you're cute an-"

"Please, stop. I'm not going to fall for your trick. I'm not going to be the next person you fuck and throw away like trash. So, no I won’t hear you out. Please just go away." Phil suddenly wished he were anywhere but in the boys locker room with the biggest player in the school. He suddenly felt trapped. "If you want to ask again, maybe you should be a better person first." Phil looks up and makes eye contact with Dan.

Phil could see something flash behind Dan's eyes, before they harden their gaze on Phil. "What if I am trying, or if I am, but you just listen to what other people say about me. "

"Rumors are based on bits of truth. You'd have to prove you're trying to be a better person. You can't just call me cute and hope I respond."

Dan bites his lip and closes his eyes for a brief moment. "Okay..." He looks down and Phil can see his teeth press further into his lip. "Please..." Dan's voice had turned surprisingly... soft? "Could you just think of this from my point of view? Think about all of the people you've heard that from. Everyone but me. Have you ever heard any of that come out of my own mouth?" Dan looks straight into Phil's eyes and frowns. "Because i know you haven't." Dan turns on his heel and leaves.

Phil couldn't help but stare at the space where Dan had once been, deep in thought. 

His thoughts are interrupted by the door opening. "Phil?" A familiar voice calls. His friend Oliver pops out from behind the lockers. "Oh, hi Phil. Did I just see Dan Howell leaving?" Phil sighs and nods. "Really? Mr. I've-Fucked-Everyone? Did he get you too?" Phil frowns and avoids eye contact with Oliver. "Wow, really? I didn't expect that from you of all people."

"No, Oliver. We didn't do... That." Phil blushes and looks back at the now familiar speckled floor. "Well, I think he was trying to... do that with... me, but I was ignoring him." Phil stops and bites his lip, realization dawning on him. His memory flashes back to the hurt that showed on Dan's face when he said all that stuff. He suddenly feels... regretful. Maybe Phil is wrong about him, but Phil isn't about to put his heart out and have it be played with and broken. Even if Dan is the hottest boy Phil had ever seen.

"You were?" Oliver says, returning Phil's thoughts to the boy that's in front of him. "'Cause you look like you just went through an emotional roller coaster." Phil looked away from him and frowned. "Are you actually falling for him?" Phil feels Oliver's eyes bore into him. All Phil can do is blush and avoid eye contact. "Really? Dan Howell? The boy who has literally fucked almost every person in our year?" Oliver looks at him with a hint of sarcasm behind his stare. "You're kidding, right?" Phil sits, staring at the floor in an uncomfortable silence. "Right, Phil?"

"I... I don't know. I don't know if I could believe that all the rumors are false, but every time I look at him I just… I don’t know, ok.”

“What” Oliver asks incredulously. “You just what?” Oliver’s eyes stare into him. “Imagine holding his hand.” Oliver raises an eyebrow. “Imagine kissing him.” Phil blushes and feels discomfort crawling up his throat. “Imagine having se-”

“Shut up!” Phil snaps. “Please just shut up Oliver. I’m not thinking of doing any of that, ok?” Phil can feel the pressure of the lie he told weighing on him.

“Good. Do you know what people would say about you and him?”

“I don’t care about that stuff.”

“Really?” Oliver frowns. “Because I know that you do.”

“Do you? Why should I care about it!”

“Because!” Oliver shouts before looking up and taking a deep breath. “Because of your reputation Phil. I don’t want you to get hurt by this shit.”

“Screw reputation. Why should anyone care about my life?”

Oliver stands silent for a moment.

“Do you understand what people would think of you?” Oliver’s voice grew soft and concerned.

“I don’t care. Really.”

“Really? When would you start caring?” Phil could tell that Oliver is getting angrier by the second. “When would it start to matter to you? When people find out your gay? When they start calling you a slut, or a player? Or a fag?”

Phil freezes and stares directly at Oliver. Silence sits between them and the tension is like a brick wall. 

“Go.” Phil says. Oliver freezes. And opens his mouth. “Just go”.

Oliver nods and leaves.

Phil backs up until his back hits the lockers and he slides down to the floor. He stares at the speckled tile and lets a tear fall down his cheek. He can’t believe Oliver would say that word. It hurt. A lot. 

Phil’s about to stand up when the door to the locker room squeaks open and he hears a familiar voice call out. “Phil?” It’s Dan.

Phil has never been more happy to hear Dan’s voice in his life. Dan walks through the lockers, footsteps coming closer. “Phil? He calls again. “Phi-” Dan turns the corner and sees Phil sitting against the lockers and smiles softly. “Oh, hi.” 

“Dan?” Phil says.

“Uh… Yeah. I just wanted to say that I’m sorry. I was bein-”

“No, please don’t apologize. You did nothing wrong. I was being a huge dick. I judged you and didn’t even give you time to tell me your side of things. I only believed what I heard and that was wrong.” 

Dan smiled softly. “Thank you.”

A comfortable silence sinks into the room. “My friend came in after you left and tried to warn me about dating you.” Phil says softly. “He said that people would call me a slut and a player and…”

“A fag?” Dan mutters quietly, looking down at the floor.

Phil looks over at Dan, surprised. “How did you know?”

“I hear those things about me every single day.” 

Phil looks up and notices that Dan as sunk down to sit next to him. He couldn’t help but feel a warm fuzzy feeling in his stomach. “I’m sorry.” Phil murmurs as he lets his head fall onto Dan’s shoulder.

“It’s ok. I can handle it. You don’t deserve that though.” Dan looks down at Phil and gives him a genuine smile.

“I was wrong about you. You’re really nice. I’m so sorry.” 

Dan reaches between them and places his hand on top of Phil’s. Phil feels a warm feeling bubble to the surface as he laces his fingers between Dan’s. “So are you.” Dan looks down at him and smiles.

No words are exchanged as Dan turns to Phil and kisses him on the cheek.


End file.
